Sonobuoy launcher



Feb. 24, 1970 w. H- MYER 3,496,925

SONOBUOY LAUNCHER Filed July 24, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F ig. 3

2:0 Fig 4 INVENTOR.

WALTER H. MYERS United States Patent 3,496,925 SONOBUOY LAUNCHER Walter H. Myers, Chalfont, Pa., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed July 24, 1967, Ser. No. 655,680 Int. Cl. F41h 11/00 US. Cl. 124--11 13 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A launcher for ejecting sonobuoys from an aircraft including a device for puncturing a bottle containing liquid CO and adapted for diverting the CO gas under pres sure first to a piston chamber for driving a sonobuoy launch piston and second to another piston chamber for causing the release of a sonobuoy-engaging, locking member which is adapted to swing outwardly of the ejectlon path and permit the ejection of the sonobuoy to which pressure is then being applied by the launch piston.

Statement of Government interest The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

Background of invention Previously known fluid pressure actuated sonobuoy launchers have required the use of bulky compressors or other pressure supplies and are not readily adaptable for use in helicopters because of the limited amount of space available. Additionally, known sonobuoy launchers are relatively complex in design, are subject to failure, are sometimes diflicult to use and are not easily manufactured.

Summary of invention It is a general purpose of this invention to provide a sonobuoy launcher which overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art and which is well adapted for use in hellcopters. It is an object of this invention to provide a store launcher which has a compact, self-contained pressure supply and does not require associated compressors and the like. It is another object of the invention to provide a pressure operated sonobuoy launcher which is more easily loaded with a sonobuoy or other store and is more easily operated by command from a remote station than are sonobuoy launchers heretofore known. It is a further object of this invention to provide a sonobuoy launcher which is suitable for storing the sonobuoy. It is a still further object of this invention to provide a more reliable launcher having fewer mechanical parts which are subject to failure. It is yet another object of this invention to provide an improved device for puncturing bottles containing a fluid under pressure.

Briefly, the general purpose, the above-indicated objects, and other objects which will become apparent from this specification and the accompanying drawing may be accomplished by providing a launcher which includes a spring loaded, store engaging launch piston which coacts with a pivotally mounted locking member to clamp the store or sonobuoy therebetween and includes a device for puncturing a bottle containing a fluid under pressure and for diverting the pressure generated to drive a piston which is arranged to apply force to and drive the launch piston and subsequently to divert a portion of the pressure generated to drive another piston which is connected to cause the locking member to be moved from engagement with the periphery of the sonobuoy so that it may be ejected by the launch piston.

Brief description of the drawing FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view in elevation of a launcher which has a sonobuoy positioned therewithin;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view in plan of the launcher of FIG. 1 taken substantially along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view in elevation, with portions broken away, of a pressure supply assembly which is associated with the launcher of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a puncturing piston of the assembly of FIG. 3.

Description of preferred embodiment Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the launcher 10 generally includes a vertically arranged sonobuoy receiving tube 12 of generally hexagonal cross-section which has a flange 14 fixed to its lower or exit end, which flange 14 is bolted to the helicopter floor in registry with a sonobuoy ejection aperture 16 extending therethrough. The tube 12 includes a removable side portion or door 18 which has a length greater than that of a sonobuoy S to be launched. The tube 12 and the door 18 include at their longitudinal interfaces outwardly extending flanges 12a, 12b, 18a and 18b, abutting pairs of which are removably secured together. The inner periphery of the tube 12, with the door 18 thereof closed, is of a size to receive therewithin the cylindrical sonobuoy S.

A coaxially-mounted flanged tube 20 of circular crosssection has its unflanged lower end supported by and fixed to the tube 12. The tube 20 also has formed in its lateral periphery a longitudinally extending slot 20a. A pair of parallel plates 22 (one of which is shown) are fixed at their edges to the tube 20 and extend longitudinally downward from the flanged end thereof on respective sides of the slot 20a. The flanged end of the tube 20 provides a seat for a circular plate member 24 which is coaxially fixed thereto. The plate 24 has a coaxial boss portion 24a extending upwardly therefrom and a coaxial bore extending therethrough within which is fixed a shaft bearing 26.

One end of a piston chamber sleeve 28 is fixed to and coaxially extends upwardly from the boss portion 24a of the plate 24. A coaxially apertured, spring receiving cup 30 is slidingly received within the sleeve 28, its bottom being supported by the boss portion 24a of the plate 24. The other end of the sleeve 28 is closed by an apertured cap 32 having a coupling 34 to which is connected one end of a pressure line 36 extending from a pressure supply assembly 38, hereinafter more fully described, which is fixed to the exterior periphery of the tube 20. A coil spring 40 is coaxially received within the sleeve 28, has one end seated within the cup 30, and extends upwardly to provide support for a piston 42 slidably received within the sleeve 28. A Teflon piston gasket 44 having an upwardly extending peripheral rim is secured to the pressure receiving side of the piston 42. A connecting rod 46, which has its upper end fixed to the piston 42, depends therefrom and extends slidably through and coaxially of the spring 40, the cup 30, the shaft bearing 26 and the tube 20. The lower or extended end of the connecting rod 46 is threaded into a coaxial boss portion 48a of a sonobuoy launch piston 48 which is of a diameter to be slidably received by both of the tubes 20 and 12 during reciprocatory movement. The cap 32 includes formed therein adjacent the sleeve 28 an annular recess of a size to receive the rim of the piston gasket 44. The coil spring 40 is of a suflicient strength to normally urge the pistons 42 and 48 and the interconnecting rod 46 upwardly so that the piston gasket 44 would, without the application of opposing forces, be urged into abutting engagement with the interior face of the cap 32. The extended upper end of the cup 30 functions as a stop for limiting the downward excursion of the piston 42 under pressure. A pressure bleed aperture 28a is formed in the sleeve 28 and is positioned to be opened when the piston 42 has been downwardly forced under pressure into engagement with the cup 30.

A flanged support cup 50 is fixed to and depends from the plate 24 within the tube 20. The cup 50 includes a longitudinal bore 50a extending downwardly thereinto which terminates at a stop shoulder 50b spaced from the coaxially apertured bottom thereof. The cup 50 also includes a longitudinal slot 50c extending through its lateral periphery which is positioned in registry with the slot 20a of the tube 20. A flanged, spring-receiving cup 52 having a coaxially apertured bottom through which extends the connecting rod 46 is slidably received within the bore 50a of the support cup 50 and extends through the apertured bottom thereof. A coil spring 54 which is stronger than the spring 40 is coaxially received about the rod 46 and extends upwardly from the bottom of the cup 52 to engage the bearing 26 carried by the plate 24, overcoming the spring 40, whereby the bottom of the cup 52 normally engages and moves the piston 48 downwardly into the tube 12 until the flanged end of the cup 52 is stopped by the shoulder 50b. The slot 500 in the cup 50 extends a sufficient distance below the shoulder 50b to allow the insertion therethrough and under the flanged end of the cup 52 of an end of a lever 56 which extends through the slot 20a of the tube 20 and is pivotally connected to the plates 22. The lever includes a handle 56a which is arranged to extend longitudinally of the launcher when the spring 54 has urged the cup 52 towards engagement with the shoulder 50b of the cup 50 and moved the piston 48 into a sonobuoy clamping position.

The pressure supply assembly 38 includes protruding longitudinally downwardly therefrom an extendable, sonobuoy-release-actuating plunger 58 which extends through the apertured fingers of a bifurcated bracket 60 longitudinally fixed to the exterior periphery of the tube 12. The extended end of the plunger 58 normally abuts a boss portion 62a of a spring-loaded, release actuating member 62, which portion 62a protrudes upwardly through the upper finger of a longitudinally arranged, bifurcated bracket 64 fixed to the periphery of the tube 12. The lower portion 62b of the member 62 includes a manual actuating handle 66 protruding outwardly thereof and, further, has fixed thereto a depending connecting rod 68 which extends longitudinally and downwardly through the lower apertured finger of the bracket 64. A key 70 is fixed to the extended end of the rod 68 and is slidably received within a longitudinal keyway 72a extending through a portion of a latch support member 72 fixed to the exterior periphery of the tube 12. The member 72 is positioned longitudinally above the upper terminus of a slot 120 extending through the tube 12 adjacent the exit end thereof below the level of the door 18. A coil spring 74 extends coaxially about the rod 68 between the lower finger of the bracket 64 and the lower portion 62b of the member 62 and normally urges the plunger 58 upwardly to a fully retracted position, carrying the key 70 upwardly to a locking position.

A latch 76 which is pivotally connected intermediate its ends to the latch support member 72 has extending integrally from its lower end both a sonobuoy stop 76a which, when in locking position, protrudes into the tube 12 through the slot 120 to engage and support the sonobuoy S and a projection 76b which, when in locking position, engages the tube 12 and limits a further excursion of the stop 76a into the tube 12. The other end of the latch 76 terminates in a hook-like portion 76c extending toward the lower end of the key 70. The key 70 has formed therethrough adjacent the lower end thereof an aperture 70a which has a size to receive therewithin the hook 760 of the latch 76 when in a releasing position, and which is spaced from the bottom edge of the key to define therebetween a locking surface. Thereby, when the key 70 is moved downwardly to the release position, the hook 76c can be moved into the aperture 70a and allow the stop 76a to be pivotally moved downwardly and outwardly of the interior of the tube 12 to permit the ejection of the sonobuoy S positioned in the tube 12 and supported by the stop 76a. Upward movement of the key 70 under the action of the spring 74 forces the hook 760 to move outwardly of the member 72 and rest upon the locking surface of the key 70 thereby forcing the stop 76a into the tube 12 into locking position and the projection 76b into engagement with the periphery of the tube 12. When the sonobuoy S is loaded into the tube 12, the stop 76a engages the bottom of and supports the sonobuoy S. The center of gravity of the latch 76 is so located relative to its pivotal connection to the member 72 that the stop 76a normally tends to extend through the slot 12c for blocking the ejection of the sonobuoy S.

A plurality of guide fingers 78 are fixed to the inner periphery of the tube 12 and extend upwardly from the exit end toward the bottom edge of the door 18 along the interior corners of the inner periphery. The upper ends of the guide fingers 78 are beveled as at 78a so that ejection of sonobuoys such as S having drogue flaps is not unduly impeded. The inner peripheries of guide fingers 78 are concavely curved and serve along with the centers of the interior plane surfaces of the tube 12 to loosely engage and coaxially align the sonobuoy S.

In order to load the sonobuoy S into the launcher 10, the door 18 having been removed or opened, the handle 56a of the lever 56 is moved outwardly of the launcher 10 to force the upper end of the spring receiving cup 52 upwardly into engagement with the bearing 26 and plate 24 thereby compressing the spring 54. The spring 40 is thereby enabled to force the piston 42 upwardly to engage the cap 32 and thereby withdraw the launch piston 48 into tube 20 so that the loading of the sonobuoy S into the tube 12 will not be obstructed. The forward end of the sonobuoy S is guided into the lower portion of the tube 12 between the guide fingers 78, to rest upon the stop 7 6a of the latch 76, and the other end of the sonobuoy S is coaxially aligned within the tube 12 whose walls may lightly engage the sonobuoy S. The handle 56a of the lever 56 is allowed to return to its longitudinal position whereby the spring 54, acting to overcome spring 40, forces the cup 52 and, thereby, the launch piston 48 downwardly so that the sonobuoy S is clamped between the piston 48 and the stop 76a. A small pressure chamber is formed within the sleeve 28 between the interior end of the cap 32 and the Teflon piston gasket 44.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the launcher pressure supply assembly 38 more particularly includes a base 80 which is fixed to the tube 20 and has a threaded bore 80a which extends thereinto from one side and is adapted to receive the frangible end of a bottle 82 containing liquefied gas such as CO A steel bottle-puncturing piston 84 is slidably received within a bore 80b extending coaxially toward the bottle 82 from a sealed end on the obverse side of the base 80. As more particularly shown in FIG. 4, the piston 84 includes a circumscribing annular, keyreceiving groove 84a formed therein intermediate its ends and has an integral pin 86b coaxially extending from a spherically concave, pressure receiving surface 84c of the piston 84. The pin 86b terminates in an integral pyramidlike bottle puncturing member 86d whose four bottle cutting edges 84e diverge outwardly of the pin 84b from a common point. A coaxial bore 800 of a size to permit excursion of the puncturing member 84d therethrough extends between the bore 80b and the frangible end of the bottle 82.

A key 86 generally having the configuration of a longitudinal half-section of a cylinder is mounted for rotation within a sealed bore 80d whose axis extends tangentially and transversely of the bore 80b. The key 86 is movable into the groove 84a of the piston 84 for locking it in a cocked position. A cocking handle 88 extends through the sealed end into and coaxially of the bore 88b and is threadably fixed at its end to the piston 84. A coil spring 90 is positioned coaxially about the handle 88 within the sealed bore 80b and is compressed between the sealed end of the bore 88b and the cocked piston 84. The spring 98 has a sufiicient strength to force the pyramid member 84d to pierce the frangible end of the bottle 82 upon piston rele-asement by rotation of the key 86 out of the groove 84a. A release actuating handle 92 is fixed to the key 86 for rotation therewith, is normally biased by a spring 94 to urge the key 86 into the groove 84a, and is actuated b an abutting, extendable plunger 96a of a solenoid 96 in response to an appropriate electric-a1 signal from a remote command station. When the solenoid plunger 96a causes the handle 92 to withdraw the key 86 from the piston groove 84a, the pyramid member 84d is driven through the frangible end of the bottle 82 by the spring 98, and the liquefied CO begins to turn to a gas which escapes through the pierced aperture in the bottle 82 and through the aperture 880 and forces the piston 84 axially away from the bottle 82, withdrawing the member 84d therefrom. The spring 94 causes the key 86 to be rotated into the groove 84a of the piston 84 as soon as it passes, and the piston 84 is recocked.

The base 88 has formed therein a bore 8th: which extends transversely thereinto to communicate with the bore 88b adjacent the bore 800. A pressure line connector 98 having the pressure line 36 connected thereto is threaded into the base 88 coaxially of the bore 8% to establish communication between the pierced bottle 82 and the piston chamber within the sleeve 28.

A latch release piston 1180 from which depends the plunger 58 fixed thereto is slidably received within a piston chamber bore 88f which extends into the base 88 transversely of the bore 88b and which communicates therewith through a coaxial bore 88g which opens into bore 88b at a position longitudinally spaced from bore 8% in a direction axially away from the bottle 82. The axes of the bores 88s and 80g, thereby, are displaced in such a manner that the piston 84 closes both bores 88a and 88g upon its release from the cocked position and its perforation of the bottle 82 and that the gaseous CO under pressure is diverted first through the bore 88:: to drive the launch piston 48 as the piston 84 is driven away from the :bottle 82, the bore 88g remaining closed. Thereafter, as the piston 84 further moves back to the cocked position the gaseous CO under pressure is diverted through the bore 88g to drive the piston 188. It is desirable that the bore 80c have a diameter which is substantially larger, such as four times, than that of the bore 88g so that most of the gaseous CO is diverted through the bore 88:2 and the pressure line 36 to the piston chamber in the sleeve 28. The piston 188 includes a peripherally rimmed piston gasket 182 which is secured thereto by a coaxially mounted screw 184 whose groove registers with the bore 88g and which functions as a stop member to protect the gasket 182 from damage under the action of the coil spring 74 which urges the plunger 58 upwardly. When the piston 84 has moved to a position wherein gaseous CO is diverted also into the bore 80g, the piston 180 is driven downwardly to cause the plunger 58 to actuate the release of the sonobuoy S in the manner described above.

To operate the launcher 10, the cylindrical sonobuoy S is loaded into the launcher 10 as described above, and the handle 88 is withdrawn to compress the spring 98 and cock the bottle puncturing piston 84. The bottle 82 is threaded into the bore 80a. When ejection is desired, the solenoid 96 is actuated to cause withdrawal of the key 86 from the groove 84a of the piston 84 thereby permitting the spring-driven piercing of the bottle 82. The resulting pressure forces the piston 84 away to allow the escape of pressure through the bore 302 and the pressure line 36 into the piston chamber in the sleeve 38. Since the latch 76 has not yet been actuated, pressure builds up in the above'indicated chamber. Thereafter, when the piston 84 has further moved axially to allow diversion of pressure to drive the piston 188, the key 78 is moved downwardly to the release position, and the weight of the sonobuoy S in addition to the pressure then being applied thereto by the launch piston 48 cause the stop member 780 to be pivotally moved downwardly and outwardly of the tube 12 to enable sonobuoy ejection. The short delay in time after puncturing the bottle 82 and before releasing the latch 76 assures that a suflicient pressure will be built up in the sleeve 28 to impart the desired ejection velocity of the sonobuoy S.

From the above it is apparent that an improved sonobuoy launcher has been provided. One person can easily load a sonobuoy S into the launcher 10. The launcher 10 may be operated by electrical command signal from a remote station or, in the alternative, it may be operated by manually moving the handle 92 to release the puncturing piston 84-. Additionally, the sonobuoy may be easily unloaded in an aircraft servicing area without puncturing the bottle 82 by manually depressing the handle 66, the weight of the sonobuoy forcing pivotal movement of the stop 76a out of the ejection path. The invention makes it possible to utilize inexpensive liquefied gas containing bottles instead of expensive and bulky compressors and the like. The launcher 18' further is capable of securely and safely supporting a loaded sonobuoy during flight.

Although the launcher 18 has been described as being vertically oriented in the aircraft, it is contemplated that the launcher 18 can eject sonobuoys while positioned in other selected orientations. Additionally, it is contemplated that the pressure supply assembly 38 may be modified for use with other store ejectors. For example, the assembly 38 may be mounted with the plunger 58 in contact with a releasably suspended store such as a torpedo and actuated to impart a selected nose-down attitude to the store concurrently with the releasing thereof.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosure relates only to a preferred embodiment of the invention and that numerous modifications or alterations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for ejecting a store from an aircraft and adapted for use with a frangible container of pressurized fluid comprising:

a base adapted for receiving the store therewithin and having a store exit aperture; store launch piston means connected to said base and movable in response to application of pressure thereto for ejecting the store through said aperture;

releasable locking means connected to said base, in-

cluding a stop member which is movable into a store ejection path adjacent said exit aperture for blocking the ejection of the store, and including an actuating means connected to said stop member for enabling said stop member to be moved from said store ejection path;

pressure supply means adapted for connection to the frangible container of pressurized fluid, said supply means including means for puncturing the container to provide pressure, plunger means movable under said pressure for actuating said actuating means and means for diverting said pressure first to said launch piston means and thereafter to said plunger means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 further including:

first spring means positioned between said base and said piston means and normally urging said piston means into engagement with the store received within said base for cooperating with said stop member to clamp the store therebetween.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said releasable locking means includes:

a latch member having one end terminating in said stop member and another end terminating in a hook, said stop member and said hook projecting transversely of said latch member toward said base, said latch member being pivotally connected to said base intermediate said latch member ends at a point spaced from said stop member in a direction away from said exit aperture and spaced outwardly of said store ejection path;

key means having an aperture, interposed between said hook and said base and connected to said base for sliding movement between a locking position and a releasing position, said hook being receivable within said aperture of said key means in releasing position permitting pivotal movement of said stop member outwardly of said ejection path, and said hook being movable outwardly of said base by said key means in locking position for positively positioning said stop member in said ejection path to block store ejection;

spring means connected to said base normally urging said key means into said locking position; and

means connecting said plunger means with said key means for moving said key means thereby into said releasing position.

4. Apparatus for ejecting a store from an aircraft and adapted for use with a frangible container of pressurized fluid comprising:

a base including a tubular member formed for receiving the store therewithin, terminating at one end in a store exit aperture and having a loading doorway formed in its lateral periphery for loading the store thereinto;

store launch piston means connected to said base and being movable into said tubular member adjacent said doorway to engage the store when in a store engaging position and being movable in response to application of pressure thereto for ejecting the store through said store exit aperture;

releasable locking means connected to said base, in-

cluding a stop member which is movable into a store ejection path adjacent said store exit aperture for blocking the ejection of the store and including an actuating means having plunger means movable under pressure for operating said actuating means to enable said stop member to be moved from said store ejection path;

first spring means positioned between said base and said launch piston means and normally urging said piston means into engagement with the store received within said tubular member for cooperating with said stop member to clamp the store therebetween;

second spring means positioned between said base and said launch piston means for withdrawing said piston means from said store engaging position when loading the store into said tubular member; and

pressure supply means adapted for connection to the frangible container of pressurized fluid, said supply means including means for puncturing the container to provide pressure and means for diverting said pressure first to said launch piston means and thereafter to said plunger means.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein:

said store launch piston means includes a piston sleeve fixed to said base, means connecting the extended end of said sleeve to said pressure diverting means of said pressure supply means, a first piston slidingly received Within said sleeve for movement in response to application of pressure thereto, a launch piston adapted for moving into said tubular member for engaging the store and a connecting rod connected to and extending between said first piston and said launch piston;

said second spring means includes a second coil spring coaxially received about said connecting rod and normally urging said first piston toward the extended end of said sleeve; and

the first spring means includes a first coil spring coaxially received about said connecting rod and extending between said launch piston and said base, said first spring being stronger than said second spring and normally urging said launch piston to engage the store and causing said first piston to be spaced from the pressure receiving end of said sleeve for forming a pressure chamber.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 further including:

spring compressing means connected to said base for compressing said first spring to allow withdrawal of said launch piston from said tubular member by the action of said second spring.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said spring compressing means includes:

a support cup fixed to said base and having an apertured bottom through which extends said connecting rod, a bore longitudinally extending therewithin and a slot extending longitudinally thereof along its lateral periphery;

a spring cup having an apertured bottom through which extends said connecting rod, said spring cup being slidingly received within said bore of said support cup and extending through said apertured bottom of said support cup;

said first coil spring being coaxially received within said spring cup and about said connecting rod and normally urging the bottom of said spring cup into engagement with said launch piston; and

lever means pivotally connected to said base and having an end inserted through said slot of said support cup and adapted for engaging said spring cup and movable for urging it away from said exit aperture to enable said second coil spring to withdraw said launch piston from said tubular member.

8. Apparatus for ejecting a store from an aircraft and adapted for use with a frangible container of pressurized fluid comprising:

a base adapted for receiving the store therewithin and having a store exit aperture;

store launch piston means connected to said base and movable in response to application of pressure thereto for ejecting the store through said aperture;

releasable locking means connected to said base including a stop member which is movable into a store ejection path adjacent said exit aperture for blocking the ejection of the store, and including an actuating means having a plunger means movable under pressure for operating said actuating means to enable said stop member to be moved from said store ejection path;

a pressure supply base having formed therein a first bore adapted for receiving a portion of and supporting the frangible container, a piston bore communicating with said first bore, a second bore connected to said launch piston means and communicating with said piston bore adjacent said first bore and a plunger bore adapted for receiving said plunger means and communicating with said piston bore at a position spaced further from said first bore than is said second bore;

a puncture piston slidably received within said piston bore, said puncture piston including formed therein a key-receiving groove and including extending therefrom a container puncturing member adapted for puncturing the container, said puncturing piston being adapted for closing communications between said piston bore and said second and plunger bores when in a puncturing position and sequentially opening communication of said piston bore with said second bore and thereafter with said plunger bore in response to movement of said piston under pressure applied thereto upon puncture of the container;

spring means for urging said puncture piston from a cocked position to puncture the container; and key means mounted within said pressure supply base and movable into said key-receiving groove of said puncture piston for retaining said piston in said cocked position.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said puncture piston includes:

a cylindrical body portion having said key-receiving groove extending peripherally thereabout intermediate its ends;

a spherical depression being formed in said body portion at the pressure receiving end thereof;

a shaft portion extending coaxially of said body from said spherical depression; and

a pyramid cutting member formed on the extended end of said shaft portion and having container cutting edges diverging outwardly of said shaft portion.

10. Apparatus for ejecting a store from an aircraft comprising:

a base including a tubular member formed for receiving the store therewithin, terminating at one end in a store exit aperture and having a loading doorway formed in its lateral periphery for loading the store thereinto;

store launched piston means connected to said base and being movable into said tubular member adjacent the doorway to engage the store when in a store engaging position and being movable in response to application of pressure for ejecting the store through said store exit aperture;

releasable locking means connected to said base, in-

cluding a stop member which is movable into a store ejection path adjacent said store exit aperture for blocking store ejection and including an actuating means having a plunger means movable under pressure for operating said actuating means to enable said stop member to be moved from said store ejection path;

first spring means positioned between said base and said launch piston means and normally urging said piston means into engagement with the store received within said tubular member for cooperating with said stop member to clamp the store therebetween;

second spring means positioned between said base and said launch piston means for withdrawing said piston means from said store engaging position whenloading the store into said tubular members; and

pressure supply means including means for diverting pressure to said launch piston means and to said plunger means.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein:

said store launch piston means includes a piston sleeve fixed to said base, means connecting the extended end of said sleeve to said pressure diverting means of said pressure supply means, a first piston slidingly received within said sleeve for movement in response to application of pressure thereto, a launch piston adapted for moving into said tubular member for engaging the store and a connecting rod connected to and extending between said first piston and said launch piston;

said second spring means includes a second coil spring coaxially received about said connecting rod and normally urging said first piston toward the extended end of said sleeve; and

the first spring means includes a first coil spring coaxially received about said connecting rod and extending between said launch piston and said base, said first Spring being stronger than said second spring and normally urging said launch piston to engage the store and causing said first piston to be spaced from the pressure receiving end of said sleeve for forming a pressure chamber.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11 further including:

spring compressing means connected to said base for compressing said first spring to allow withdrawal of said launch piston from said tubular member by the action of said second spring.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said spring compressing means includes:

a support cup fixed to said base and having an apertured bottom through which extends said connecting rod, a bore longitudinally extending therewithin and a slot extending longitudinally thereof along its lateral periphery;

a spring cup having an apertured bottom through which extends said connecting rod, said spring cup being slidingly received within said bore of said support cup and extending through said apertured bottom of said support cup;

said first coil spring being coaxially received within said spring cup and about said connecting rod and nor mally urging the bottom of said spring cup into engagement with said launch piston; and

a lever pivotally connected to said base and having an end inserted through said slot of said support cup and adapted for engaging said spring cup and movable for urging it away from said exit aperture to enable said second coil spring to withdraw said launch piston from said tubular member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,621,654 3/1927 Boos 89-1.5 1,957,285 5/1934 Oehmichen 124-1l 1,985,184 12/1934 Methlin l2411 2,192,450 3/1940 Miller 124-11 2,960,083 11/1960 Grimland 124-11 3,240,200 3/1966 Jones 89-1.5 3,315,564 4/1967 Hazlett 124-11 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner RICHARD W. DIAZ, 111., Assistant Examiner U.S. c1. X.R. 83-464 

